Senate candidate talks shop with area vets

NEW BEDFORD — In a Thursday morning campaign stop, Gabriel Gomez, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, shared war stories with veterans of America's wars.

SIMÓN RIOS

NEW BEDFORD — In a Thursday morning campaign stop, Gabriel Gomez, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, shared war stories with veterans of America's wars.

"Part of the reason is that you want to make sure that everything you're doing isn't just flag-waving, that you're meeting people where you might be able to help them," said Gomez' press secretary Will Ritter, who was present at the event at the Veterans Transition House.

Gomez, 47, a Cohasset Republican and son of Colombian immigrants, is a former Navy SEAL who has never held elected office.

In February, Gov. Deval Patrick appointed William "Mo" Cowan as interim senator after former Sen. John Kerry became Secretary of State. A special Senate primary is set for April 30 and will pit Gomez against former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan and state Rep. Dan Winslow.

On the Democratic side are U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ed Markey, both of whom hold strong leads over the GOP candidates.

Ritter highlighted the diversity of Gomez' candidacy — that he is a vet, a businessman and a Spanish speaker. Even campaigning in Democratic strongholds like New Bedford, he said this gives Gomez an edge.

"That's his strategy, going into hard blue areas, like East Boston, (which) most Republicans have written off," Ritter said.

Following the New Bedford event, Gomez met voters at Red Wing Diner in Walpole, made an appearance at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce and finished the day in Worcester.

Massachusetts residents have until April 10 to register for the special Senate primary election, which takes place April 30.

June 5 is the deadline to register for the election, with voting day on June 25.